Swimming device



March 24, 1942, H. N. BREEZE 2,277,538

- SWIMMING DEVICE Filed April 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ew'cheL JWBreezINVENTOR March 24, 1942. H. N. BREEZE SWIMMING DEVICE Filed April 24,1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Humhel NEBr-eeze I L 7 7/ /////v7/ u74 a 7///w////// v I H V. mum! ATTOR N EYS Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UNlTED STATESPATENT OFFICE SWIMMING DEVICE Hurchel N. Breeze, Electra, Tex.

Application April 24, 1941, Serial No. 390,197

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in swimmingdevices.

An object of the invention is to provide a swimming device of generallyimproved design.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a swimming devicewhich will be of great assistance to a person for swimming.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a swimming devicehaving means for automatically locking and releasing the movable membersthereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a swimming device ofthe aforesaid character which is constructed so as to retain the movableelements in closed inoperative positions during diving and walking orrunning.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description progresses.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate corresponding partsthroughout:

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing one side of the device appliedto a shoe,

Figure 2 is a top plan View of the device with the wings in closedpositions,

Figure 3 is an elevational view of the opposite side of the device,

Figure 4 is an elevational view, partly in section, showing the deviceapplied to the foot of a person in swimming position, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 55 of Figure1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein for the purpose ofillustration is shown a preferred example of the invention, H]designates a socket-shaped support member advantageouslyformed of light,still material adapted to be at tached to a swimming shoe, as forinstance'the shoe S, in any suitable manner as by riveting.

The socket I is disposed to cover the heel portion of the shoe andembodies a rear part covering the back of the heel and a lower portionextending under the heel of the shoe. At the upper part the socket H1 isprovided, at each side, with a pair of upstanding lugs [I having guideopenings in their outer portions.

To one side of the socket I0 is connected, by a hinge connection vl2, awing section l3 in the form of flat rigid plate having attached to itsouter straight edge, by a pair of complementary hinge connections I4, anextension section or flap I also of rigid construction. On the outermarginal portion of the plate section I3 is formed an obliquelyextending lip l 6 forming a stop piece to limit the outward pivotalmovement of the flap section l5. On the inner side of the section 13 isprovided a straight lug I! designed to limit the inward movement of theflap and to support the same in coplanar relation with the section l3.On the outer face of the flap l5, at its inner marginal portion, isprovided a pivot lug l8, for a purpose which will be describedhereinafter.

Positioned against the outer face of the wing section I3 and heldthereagainst by a pivot member I9, is an approximately ellipsoidal latchmember 20 having a web portion 2| and an arcuate portion 22, the latterhaving its end part laterally offset from the face of the wing sectionto form a locking tongue 23 movable through the upper slotted flange ofa channel bracket 24 secured to the section. To a pin 25, on the web 2|,is connected the outer slotted end of a rod 26, the inner end of whichis connected with the end portion of a cylindrical weight 21 slidablymounted in a cylinder 28 pivotally attached to the face of the wing.

A link 29 having one end pivotally connected to the lug I8, is disposedso that its opposite slotted end 30 engages a headed pin on the latchWeb 2| to limit movement of the flap I5 relative to the wing plate l3.

On the opposite side of the supporting socket I0 is mounted a rigid wingforming plate 3| pivotally connected with the socket by a hingeconnection 32 and of approximately semi-elliptic shape, corresponding tothe shape of the section l3 and the flap l5 when these are in coplanararrangement.

Slidably mounted in the apertured guide openings of the lugs I I is aU-shaped yoke member 33 movable longitudinally of the support socket andshoe and formed with a cross piece 34 at the rear thereof. To each sideleg of the yoke 33 is connected a rigid arm 35 having its inner endconnected with an angle fitting 36 by an adjustable joint 31' and theinner end of the joint connected to the yoke by a ball and socket joint38, The outer end of one of the arms 35 connects with the intermediateportion of the wing 3| by a ball and socket joint 39 while the outer endof the complementary arm 35 connects with an angularly directed flange40, on the outer side of the hinge section l3, through the medium of aball and socket joint H.

The wing forming blades l3 and 3| are mounted in complementary relationat opposed sides of the shoe and are movable to swing about pivot axesdisposed at acute angular positions relative to a line perpendicular tothe shoe sole. The connection of both of these wings to thelongitudinally slidable yoke 33, through the medium of the arms 35,causes coordinate movement and arrangement thereof. The weight 21, in aposition nearly perpendicular to the sole, functions to swing the latchmember 20 to locking position, that is, to move the latch tongue 23 intothe jaw formed by the channel bracket 24, when the sole of the shoeassumes a downward position within predetermined angular limits. Thus,when a swimmer wearing the wing-equipped supports moves his legs throughthe up and down flutter kickmovements, as executed in the crawl strokeas shown at Figure 4, or effects backward and forward movement of thelegs, in swimming position, the wings alternately open and close. Forinstance, as the foot executes an initial power kick during swimming theforce of the water against the extension flap l5 causes the link 29,acting against the pin 30 to swing the latch 20 in a counter-clockwisedirection so as to remove the tongue 23 from the slotted bracket 24 andrelease the rod 35 extending through the bracket so that the mainsections of the wings are swung to laterally directed open positions,enabling the swimmer to obtain substantially increased purchase againstthe water. The slotted extension of link 29 enables inward or closuremovement of the flap I5 with relation to the blade section 30 duringreverse movement of the foot, without closing the tongue. When, however,the foot attains a predetermined lowered position with the sole directeddownwardly at or near the horizontal, as in standing or walking, theweight 21 will slide downward by gravity to move the latch 20 in aclockwise direction and slide the tongue 23 into the jaw 24 for lockingthe rod 35, the slotted extension of the rod 26 enabling elevation ofthe weight without opening movement of the latch tongue, the latch 20being quite accurately balanced on its pivot pin l9. Thus, such openingand closing of the wings substantially increases the impelling force ofthe kick to greatly increase the effectiveness of the swimming effort.

While the particular form of the invention shown and described disclosesa socket member I0 attached to a shoe it will be readily apparent thatsuch separate structure may be eliminated by providing the guides andhinge connections directly on the shoe. Furthermore, the automatic winglocking mechanism may be operated by varied disposition of the actuatingWeight or by spring means.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes relative to the material, size, shape and arrangement ofparts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a swimming device of the character described, a support member, apair of wings pivotally connected to opposed sides of the support, andmeans connecting the said wings to effect coordinate movement thereof.

2. In a swimming device of the character described, a support adapted tobe fitted on the foot, a pair of complementary wings pivotally connectedto the said support, and means for automatically locking the wings inclosed inoperative arrangement when the support is in predeterminedpositions.

3. In a device of the character described, a support adapted to befitted on the foot, a pair of complementary wings pivotally connected toopposed sides of the support, means connecting the said wings forcoordinate movement thereof, and a hinged flap attached to the outerportion of one of the said wings.

4. In a device of the character described, a support adapted to befitted on the foot, a pair of complementary wings pivotally connected toopposed sides of the support, means connecting the said wings forcoordinate movement thereof, a hinged flap attached to the outer portionof one of the said wings, and means for locking the said wings in closedpositions.

5. In a swimming device, a support adapted to be fitted on the foot, apair of complementary wings pivotally connected to opposed sides of thesupport on an axis oblique to the sole of the foot, a slide membermounted on the support, an arm connecting each wing with the said slidemember, a jaw mounted on one of the wings and disposed so that theconnecting arm of the said Wing will extend therethrough when the wingis in closed position, and latch means mounted in'coacting relation withthe jaw for releasably locking the arm therein.

6. In a swimming device, a support adapted to be fitted on the foot,a'pair of complementary wings pivotally connected to opposed sides ofthe support on an axis oblique to the sole of the foot, a slide membermounted on the support, an arm connecting each wing with the said slidemember, a jaw mounted on one of the wings and disposed so that theconnecting arm of the said wing will extend therethrough when the wingis in closed position, a pivoted latch mounted on the wing adjacent thejaw having a tongue portion coacting with the jaw to lock the armtherein, and means for automatically actuating the latch to lock thewings in closed arrangement when the support is in predeterminedpositions.

7. In a device of the character described, a hollow support memberadapted to be connected to the heel portion of a shoe, a pair of plateelements pivotally connected to the said support, means for connectingthe said plate elements for coordinate movement, and means forautomatically locking the said plate elements against pivoted movementwhen the support is in a predetermined position.

HURCHEL N. BREEZE.

